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The Best Shaman PvE Healer Build for WoW Classic
Complete Healer Guide for Restoration Shaman in World of Warcraft ClassicRestoration Shaman PvE Builds
Odealo's Pocket Guide
You can find all our Pocket Guides for other WoW Classic Classes builds right here: Best WoW Classic Builds
If you have just started leveling your Shaman, you may want to check out our Shaman leveling Guide first
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Overview
Restoration Shamans are arguably the most flexible support/healing spec in WoW Classic. Thanks to the fact that the Shaman class was developed as a hybrid (Tank, Caster DPS, and a Healer in one), they have access to a wide range of interesting Talents, abilities, and traits. For one, they can equip shields and cloth, leather, or mail armor, which makes them more flexible when gearing up. On top of that, they can use a Class-specific themed group of ground-based buffs called Totems. With these, they can provide various damage-increasing buffs (Grace of Air Totem, Windfury Totem, and Strength of Earth Totem), help their group with top-level utility (Tremor Totem, Poison Cleansing Totem), or help with group's sustain and longevity (Mana Tide Totem, Stoneskin Totem, Windwall Totem). If this wasn't enough, they also have access to the only cost-effective "Group Healing" ability of Classic in the form of Chain Heal; an ability that heals 3 friendly characters with every cast (if targeted at a group member, it will bounce between other group members only, which makes it somewhat predictable and provides reliable Raid-wide heals if Resto Shamans are spread evenly between Raid groups). All of this sounds already incredible and we didn't even mention Shaman's non-Totem utility abilities... they have access to the best interrupt in the game in a form of the Earth Shock (it's regarded as the best because it has the shortest cooldown of just 6 seconds), Purge that removes magic effects from the Target (this is great for both PvE and PvP as it can be used to dispell buffs and other powerful magic-based effects), and Frost Shock that can be used to permanently slow an enemy (Frost Shock's slow effect is longer than its cooldown). If there is one thing that slows Resto Shamans down, it is their low sustain. They can run out of mana very quickly if they don't manage it properly (downranking spells, understanding how mana regeneration works, and stocking up on consumables is necessary when rolling a Resto Shaman).
Restoration Shamans are, by far, the most welcomed healers on the horde side and the fact that Totem buffs only affect the Shaman's main group makes them even more popular in Raids (each group needs a Shaman because everyone wants those buffs and utility).
 Pros |
 Cons |
| Great utility |
Can experience severe sustain problems (very mana-hungry) |
| Very strong support tools |
No Hard CC makes accidental aggro pulls even deadlier than usual (on adds, Bosses don't care about CC) |
| Totems are very versatile; there is one for pretty much every possible situation |
Complicated, with a high skill ceiling and a lot of abilities for many different situations |
| The best AoE Healing capabilities in Classic, thanks to the Chain Heal ability |
Lackluster defensive tools |
| Good mobility, especially when outdoors |
The Best Race Choice
Note: Here, we will point you only towards the best PvE Restoration Shaman Race. If you'd like to know more about other race picks, please check our WoW Classic Beginners Guide, where we dive deep into all available Shaman's race choices.
 Horde |
Out of the three Horde races that can choose the path of a Shaman, Troll is the only one with a Racial that directly affects Resto's gameplay. His Berserking provides a 10-second long casting speed buff based on caster's current health once every 3 minutes. This will give you just 10% haste most of the time, which is not that great, but in back-to-the-wall situations, the buff can reach a whopping 30%, which can be the difference between a wipe and a close call successful attempt. |
The Best Professions Choice
Despite the fact that Healers do not benefit from Engineering as much as DPS Classes, we still recommend it as the optimal choice, especially if you plan on using the melee group variant of the Resto build. Engi lets you create and use Gnomish Battle Chicken Trinket that summons a Guardian Chicken that fights at your side and has a chance on hit to cast a "Battle Squawk" which boosts Melee attack speed of all Party members by 5%, making it a must-have in all melee groups. On top of that, the power of Goblin Saper Charge just can't be underestimated in Raid vs Raid encounters at Dungeon entrances. The fact that Engineering is also considered the best PvP profession is an added benefit to its power in the PvE/Raiding environment.
At the start, you should pick Mining to supplement your Engineering Skill, you can always switch it to another profession of your liking later on.
Note1: If you are not a min-maxer, or you want to use your professions for moneymaking, Gathering Professions, Alchemy, and Tailoring are all interesting alternatives.
Note2: If you want to know more about all available professions and secondary skills, please check our detailed WoW Classic Professions Guide.
Statistics Priority
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Statistic Priority for a Restoration Shaman: Mp5 =/⇒ Intellect =/⇒ Healing Power =/ ⇒ Spell Crit ⇒ Stamina ⇒⇒ Spirit Note: Mp5, Intellect, Healing Power, and Spell Critical are all very beneficial statistics for Restoration Shamans and you should aim to have as much of them in your gear as possible. Stamina, while not as valuable, is also good to have. Spirit, on the other hand, does not contribute nearly as much. |
The Best Talent Builds
Proper Talent allocation is essential for maximizing your Healing Per Second (HPS) and/or utility that you bring to the Raid. Here, we will describe the most optimal specs and lead you through the Talent Trees level-by-level to explain some choices.
There are two standard healing-oriented PvE Restoration Shaman Builds to choose from:
- Pure Restoration Shaman Build - Build that focuses on maximizing Resto Shaman's healing output at the cost of lower Totem utility. Foregoing Enhancement Talents, like Enhancing Totems and Guardian Totems, frees up 7 Talent points that are then used in the Restoration Tree to boost build's HPS by securing Tidal Mastery and reduce its threat generation by picking up Healing Grace. Shamans running this build will most likely stay away from mele range and stick with ranged groups.
- Melee Support Restoration Shaman Build - Build that secures Enhancing Totems and Guardian Totems from the Enhancement Tree at the cost of higher threat generation and lower critical chance. This variant provides some extra Damage for melee DPS groups, so Shamans running it will be most likely standing in the melee range.
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Pure Restoration Shaman Build Enhancement Tree:
Restoration Tree:
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Melee Support Restoration Shaman Build Enhancement Tree:
Restoration Tree:
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Where to get Pre-Raid/Raid BiS Gear
In order to maximize your HPS and Sustain, you should aim to assemble the best possible Gear. This applies to both Pre-Raid and each of the Raid Tiers/Phases.
Note1: The list will be updated with new items concurrently with the introduction of new Raids/Phases, so remember to visit this page after a new Raid opens for an update on what current best Restoration Shaman items in each lot are.
| The Best Restoration Shaman Items | |
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| Off-Hand |
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| Two-Hand |
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| Trinket 2 |
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| Neck |
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| Ring 1 |
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| Ring 2 |
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| Head |
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| Chest |
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| Legs |
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| Gloves |
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| Boots |
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| Shoulders |
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| Wrists |
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| Belt |
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| Back |
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*The Earthfury Set Items become Best in Slot when you unlock the (8) Set bonus (which means that you have to collect the whole Set). **This becomes Best in Slot after collecting at least 3 "The Ten Storms" Set pieces. |
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The Best Enchants and Consumables
Proper enchants and consumables will greatly increase your Raid performance. While getting enchants is a one-time-deal, farming consumables might be a real chore, but it is still worth it as numbers clearly show.
| The Best Enchants | |
| Weapon (1H) | Enchant Weapon - Healing Power (+ 55 Healing Power) |
| Shield | Enchant Shield - Greater Stamina (+ 7 Stamina) |
| Head | Lesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes) |
| Chest | Enchant Chest - Greater Stats (+4 to all stats) |
| Legs | Lesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes) |
| Hands | Enchant Gloves - Riding Skill (Minor Raiding Speed Increase) |
| Feet | Enchant Boots - Minor Speed (+8% Run Speed) |
| Shoulders | Chromatic Mantle of the Dawn (+5 to all Resistances) |
| Wrists | Enchant Bracer - Greater Intellect (+7 Intellect) |
| Back | Enchant Cloak - Greater Resistance (+5 to all Resistances) |
The Best Consumables |
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 Flask of Distilled Wisdom |
+2000 maximum Mana for 2 hours; effect persists through death. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Balnazzar, Stratcholme. |
 Major Mana Potion |
Restores 1350 to 2250 Mana. Created by Alchemy. Recipe drops from various high-level mobs, elites, and Bosses. |
 Elixir of Greater Intellect |
+25 Intellect for 1 hour. Created by Alchemy. |
 Demonic Rune |
Restores 1356 mana at the cost of 862 life. Drop from Demons in Azshara, Felwood, and Blasted Lands (Satyrs and Fel Guards). |
 Juju Guile |
+30 Intellect for 30 minutes. Reward from a reputable Quest available from NPC Witch Doctor Mau'ari, Everlook, Winterspring. |
 Cerebral Cortex Compound |
+25 Intellect for 1 hour. Obtained from "Infallible Mind" repeatable Quest, Blasted Lands |
 Mageblood Potion |
+12 Mp5 for 1 hour. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be bought from Rin'wosho the Trader, located in north Stranglethorn Vale |
 Nightfin Soup |
It provides 8 mana per 5 seconds for 10 minutes. Created by Cooking. |
Restoration Shaman's Spells and Downranking
In Classic, Healers do not follow any rotation as their gameplay is based purely on responding to different Raid situations and keeping everybody alive.
Understanding your spells, knowing what they do, and when to use them is the key to your success as a Resto Shaman. This is why we will shortly describe all of Resto Shaman's major spells, specify when you should use them, and tell you a word or two about the Downranking and why it is very important.
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Downranking Downranking is a method of conserving Mana by using lower ranks of spells. Using this method is flat out necessary to not run out of mana before combat ends. You should memorize how much Health different Ranks of your spells restore and use them accordingly in order to preserve resources. Note: Higher Rank of any spell is always more cost-effective than lower Rank, but Healing Power changes the math significantly and makes lower Rank spells more cost-effective than their higher Rank counterparts. Note2: Lowest Ranks of spells have a much lower Healing Power coefficient than higher Ranks do (they receive much less benefit from your Healing Power statistic). This means that you don't usually want to use Spell Ranks lower than 3 (unless Rank 1 or Rank 2 is enough to top your Target on Health). |
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| Main Resto Shaman's Spells and when to use them: | |
| Chain Heal - The most cost-effective Healing Spell in Resto Shaman's arsenal. It should be downranked to heal light group damage in order to save mana. |  |
| Healing Wave - Slow-to-cast, but powerful Single-Target Heal. It is mana-efficient, but using it on a non-Tank player will most likely result in overhealing - this is why you should downrank it. |  |
| Lesser Healing Wave - Fast-to-cast, but inefficient healing spell. Us this as a quick emergency Heal. |  |
| Earth Shock - Shaman's instant-cast interrupt. Use Rank 1 to efficiently counter the enemy's spells. |  |
| Frost Shock - Instant-cast ability with slowing effect. Use Rank 1 if all you need is its effect. |  |
| Purge - Removes beneficial spells from an enemy. Mostly useful in PvP, but some mobs can also be dispelled (Mage's Detect Magic might be necessary to discover enemy's buffs) |  |
| Cure Poison/Poison Cleansing Totem - These remove poison effects from friendly Targets. Use them accordingly |  /  |
| Cure Disease/Disease Cleansing Totem - These remove disease effects from friendly Targets. Use them accordingly |  /  |
| Windfury Totem - Enhances weapons of Shaman's group members, this should be maintained for the whole encounter duration |  |
| Grace of Air Totem - Increases the Agility of Shaman's group members. This can be swapped with Windfury Totem for the maximum benefit (so-called Totem Twisting - Windfury effect lasts 10 seconds, so you can place Windfury Totem once every 10s and immediately swap it with the Grace of Air) |  |
| Mana Spring Totem - Restores a moderate amount of mana to Shaman's group members. Use this if needed. |  |
| Mana Tide Totem - Restores a high amount of mana to Shaman's group members. Use this if needed or when asked for specifically. |  |
| Strength of Earth Totem - Increases the Strength of Shaman's group members. Use this when in a group with melee damage dealers. |  |
| Earthbind Totem - Slows down nearby enemies. Commonly used for kiting purposes in Raids. |  |
| Tremor Totem - Fear, Charm, and Sleep effects removal. Use it if needed (you want to place it before the Fear phase happens, but remember that its effect triggers every 5 seconds, starting from the moment it is placed. Proper timing is paramount!) |  |
| Spell Priorities: | |
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Tips and Tricks for aspiring Restoration Shaman Raiders
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END NOTE This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla Raiding Experience and allow you to progress through Raid Tiers efficiently and with a good amount of fun. We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know! Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below. |
Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment Inc.
